Hoʻoikaika Annual Conference 2024

A Journey to Mālama Pono : Sustaining Justice and Harmony

This year’s theme, A Journey to Mālama Pono: Sustaining Justice and Harmony, is an extension of last year’s focus on resilience as the Maui community shifts from surviving to thriving.

From King Kamehameha III in 1843 and eventually adopted as the state motto is the phrase “Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono,” or “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.” Pono is embodied through righteous work, our kuleana (responsibility) to ourselves, each other, and our physical and emotional space. The word in its context here and within broader Hawaiian culture evokes a powerful sense of obligation to moral harmony, and a stewardship of people, peace, and prosperity. Pono: to do good is to be good.

Dedicating our 2024 conference to becoming pono is all about seeking balance, cultivating connection, and indulging in the fruits of a blessed life: for us and our organizations, for our keiki (children) and ʻohana (families) receiving services, and for the Maui community holistically. While mālama is most often associated with taking care of, another aspect is to preserve and protect. If we understand what is pono, we can more easily sustain it.

We will explore issues of domestic violence and inequity in specific spaces of the community (for example, LGBTQ+) and promote trauma-informed, family-first, and culturally relevant approaches that build protective factors. The goal is to extend these frameworks to reach across spheres of self, family, and community—not only for our keiki and ʻohana, but for ourselves and our organizations. The Hoʻoikaika Annual Conference is one of the primary ways we build our capacity as health and human service providers.

The Hoʻoikaika Annual Conference is one of the primary ways we build our capacity as health and human service providers.  To join the conference planning committee, apply to present, or become a sponsor, please contact Hoʻoikaika Coordinator Deb Marois.